Chemical companies BASF and Troy Corp. recently announced price increases for their chemical products used in synthetic lubricants and metalworking fluids, respectively.
BASF announced Dec. 18 it raised its prices for neopentylglycol and trimethylolpropane in Europe by 0.06 (U.S. 8 cents) per kilogram each immediately or as allowed by contract. The Ludwigshafen, Germany-based company in October raised prices on each of the two chemicals by 190 (U.S. $250) per metric ton, citing sharp increases in raw material costs as well as the high energy and logistics costs.
BASF said its NEOL brand neopentylglycol is used to manufacture diester resins used in the production of synthetic lubricants. The company said trimethylolpropane is a major intermediate, with a wide range of applications in the chemical industry, including synthetic lubricants, polyurethanes, polyester polyols, polyether polyols, binders and adhesives, polyester and alkyd resin coatings.
Troy Corp. of Florham Park, N.J., announced Dec. 22 it will increase prices effective Jan. 10, or as contract terms allow, for some of its Polyphase, Mergal and Troyshield products by an average of 5 to 6 percent. The company cited continued higher costs for raw materials, packaging, regulatory compliance and energy as reasons for the cost increase for the products, which fall under the companys metalworking fluid additives division.
Based on isothiazolinone chemistry, some Mergal brand water-soluble liquid bactericides are used for concentrates and tankside application in water-based metalworking fluids. Some types of Polyphase – the solid, crystalline form of 3-iodo-2-propynl butyl carbamate (IPBC) – are used in formulations and incorporated during the metalworking fluid manufacturing stage. Troyshield is a solution of Troys IPBC provided in various forms suitable for a variety of delivery systems.